Sunday, October 02, 2005

Advocates for legalizing marijuana for medical use in Wisconsin are rallying support at this weekend's Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival for a bill they say is expected to be introduced by Rep. Gregg Underheim, R-Oshkosh.

Underheim, who chairs the Assembly's Health Committee, said in June that after talking with cancer survivors while he was receiving treatment for prostate cancer, he planned to introduce legislation to allow limited use of medical marijuana when prescribed by a doctor.

Local advocate Gary Storck said members of the Wisconsin Coalition for Safe Access plan to make an announcement at the Capitol on Monday, when they also will deliver cards signed by medical marijuana supporters to state legislators.

The cards cite surveys that found 80 percent of people in Wisconsin and across the country support access to medical marijuana.

Storck said there are already 15 co-sponsors of the bill, including Reps. Mark Pocan and Spencer Black, both Madison Democrats.

Other advocates, such as R. Keith Stroup of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws in Washington, D.C., and Mikki Norris of the Cannabis Consumers Campaign in El Cerrito, Calif., are drawing on the battle for civil rights by gays and lesbians in urging recreational marijuana users to come out of the closet.

Norris' group also is working to dispel the myths and negative stereotypes associated with marijuana use. Its Web site - cannabisconsumers.org - features photos and profiles of 260 marijuana users "to show we are basically good, contributing members of society."

Nall for Governor

Medical Marijuana Blogs

Dr.Tom's Medical Marijuana Blog
Med MJ blog by an MD; it's focused mainly on the surprising implications of what he's learned
(and the government doesn't know) about pot use.
It's based on a study of those hoping to be designated as "medical"
in accordance with California's much misunderstood law.